The Genderbend of Time
by MykaGhostt
Summary: Have you ever wondered what The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time would be like if all the characters were their opposite genders? Then you've come to the right place! Come one, come all! Come, gather around! The curtain is about to lift, and our main heroine, Link, is about to wake from her nightmares, and face them head on... [Will try to update every Thursday or Friday]
1. Fairyless to Fairy

**Please note that some character names have been changed in order to be more accustomed to the gender change.**

**Thank you.**

* * *

Within the deepest parts of the Hyrulian forest, a guardian spirit lingered. It was known among the inhabitants as The Great Deku Tree. It watched over the forest dwellers, known as the Kokiri, and bestowed fairies upon them as gentle companions. However, there was a Kokiri that did not have a fairy. Her name was Link.

Link was different from the other Kokiri, despite the lack of a fairy. She couldn't express how, but she was. It didn't help that she only had one friend among the Kokiri, and that said friend was basically the leader of them all. He was like a father to everyone. If it wasn't for him, Link was certain she wouldn't have any friends at all. Still… something about her wasn't quite right.

Her nightmares only made her feel more out of place. Lately, every night, she would dream of a stormy night in front of a large castle. She stood in front of the moat that went around it, and in front of the drawbridge that had an insigne above it. The drawbridge would slam down, and a white horse would gallop past her with a young Hylian prince and his servant. He'd look back towards her, and when she'd turn to see what he was staring at, she'd see a pure black horse, rearing. The rider, clad in seductive black armor, stared down at her with a piercing gaze as they smiled. They reached out towards her, as if to grab her, but she could only stare into the face of the woman atop the horse, completely terrified.

Link gasped, immediately sitting upright. Her eyes darted around the room, frightened. However, once the young Kokiri realized where she was, she began to relax. She was inside her tree house home, sitting upon her boxy mattress. She was safe. She was in the forest. She was safe.

A blue ball of light flew into her line of sight. She jumped back and screamed, but the blue ball stayed where it was. She stared at it a long time. Just… what was it? It was similar to the dust particles that flew around the forest, but yet, not quite. Then she noticed the tiny, delicate white wings.

She relaxed, and hesitated before asking, "Are you… my fairy?"

The blue ball made a nodding motion.

"What's your name?"

"Nati," the fairy replied in a deep voice.

"You're male?" Link said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Nati made a nodding motion once more.

Link grinned. "Well, I can't say I've met a male fairy before, but that's alright! You're unique, like me…" Her voice trailed off and her smile vanished. She looked out the entrance towards the rest of the forest.

"Link."

"Ah! Yes?" Link replied, snapping her attention back to the fairy.

There was silence between them before Nati spoke. "The Great Deku Tree wanted to speak with you."

"She did? What for?" Link asked.

Nati didn't reply.

"Did you hear me?"

Nati made a nodding motion.

Confused, Link asked, "Then why didn't you answer?"

Again, Nati didn't reply.

Link went to the wooden vanity on the left side of the room and grabbed her green hat off the corner of the mirror. She quickly ran her fingers through her long blonde hair before sticking her hat on her head. She gave herself a once over in the mirror, her bright blue eyes shinning. She was excited. She had a fairy. She finally had a fairy. Though, he wasn't very talkative.

"You're not the talkative type, huh?"

Nati grunted.

Link smiled. "I guess I'll just have to find out what the Deku Tree wants myself."

She went out onto her balcony and took a deep breath of fresh, earthy air. Not only did she have her own fairy, but the Deku Tree also wanted to see her. She was probably going to explain everything she needed to know about this new change, and Link was excited for that too.

"Link!"

She went to the fence that guarded the edges of the balcony and looked down. A Kokiri boy with short green hair and deep, ocean blue eyes was running up to the tree house in a hurry.

"Link, are you okay?" the boy shouted, stopping in front of the ladder, panting. "Someone said they heard screams coming from your house!"

Link climbed down the ladder to greet her friend while reassuring him, "I'm fine, Sahrda. I was just startled."

"Startled?" he said, confused. "Startled by what?"

She reached the bottom of the ladder steps and jumped onto the ground. She turned to face him.

"By this," she said, pointing to the blue orb. "This is my fairy, Nati."

Sahrda blinked a few times as he stared at the orb.

"Your what?!" he exclaimed, surprise finally taking over the confusion.

Link grinned. "My fairy, Sahrda."

A smile formed on her friend's face. "A fairy! You finally have a fairy!"

Sahrda snatched his pink fairy out of the air. It shouted out of shock, and shouted again when he launched it towards Link's face to give her a closer look. "You have a fairy, just like me!" His eyes widened. "Just like the rest of us!"

He let go of his fairy and started jumping around excitedly. "You're a true Kokiri now, Link!"

_True Kokiri._ That statement left a bittersweet taste in Link's mouth.

"Yeah. I've also been summoned by The Great Deku Tree," she added.

"Have you?" Sahrda said. He crossed his arms, and a look of pride crossed his face. "It's a great honor to be summoned by her. You're lucky, Link. Two great things in one day!"

Link looked down to the ground. Her smile faded as thoughts flooded her mind about the timing behind all this. Why today? Why now? Why didn't she get a fairy sooner? Why is she suddenly being accepted among the Kokiri? Why is she suddenly becoming… normal?

"Yeah… I guess I am," she replied.

Sahrda went behind Link and gave her a shove.

"Hey-!"

"What are you waiting for?" he interrupted. "Stop spending quality time with me and go see her! You can catch me up on everything later, like always!"

Link smiled. Sahrda was always impulsive and energetic. It was hard to have any concerns when he was around. All her worries seemed to melt away.

"Alright," she said, smiling once again. "I'll be back soon!"


	2. Sword & Shield

Link sprinted across the forest towards the river. As her legs carried her, she recalled the cool, soft touch of the element along her skin as she floated down it once. Everyone who had passed by stared when they came near. Mido and Fado had poked fun at her, like they usually did when she pulled odd stunts; Mido mostly forcing Fado to join in. It bothered Link most times, but that day, nothing caused irritation. She treasured every scent, every sensation, and every encounter. A faint thought had crossed her mind that scalding summer day. Honestly, she had thought it more than once, but that day… and even today, she had a gut feeling that she wouldn't be staying in the forest much longer.

"Hey!"

Link stopped in her tracks, sliding a little on the glossy grass. She glanced around, but no one seemed to be nearby.

"Up here!"

Link tipped her head upward and looked around, but still saw no one. Quite honestly, she felt she looked rather ridiculous.

"Up by the shop, idiot!"

Link peered at the shop and noticed a blonde boy with a white fairy sitting on the rooftop.

"Took you long enough!" he shouted.

Link made a face.

"Don't give me that," he replied, scowling. "It's your fault for being such an idiot."

She glared and crossed her arms, biting her tongue so as not to cause any problems. She was having an extraordinary day, and she didn't want anything to ruin it, if that was possible.

"Anyway," the boy continued, "impressive, huh? I got up here all by myself! It gives a great view over the forest."

He stood up and turned to the direction of the Deku Tree, using his hand as a visor to protect his eyes from the blaring sun.

"I can almost see The Great Deku Tree from here!" he shouted gleefully.

His disposition changed and he sat back down, staring at Link. "Except not quite. I still can't see her trunk lumps." He leaned forward a little, being careful not to fall. "And your chest does no favors either."

"Pervert," Link scoffed as she trudged towards the water.

"Disgusting," Nati commented, following her.

"Hey, wait!" the boy yelled. "Is that a fairy? Do you have a fairy now, Link?"

She ignored him.

Link ran towards the water. She pumped her legs harder and faster. She'd have to time her jump perfectly if she wanted to get to the little island without getting wet.

_Closer… closer… now!_

She jumped.

For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes, becoming more in tune with the adrenaline and excitement that coursed through her. She almost doubted she'd make it to the island, causing that perverted Kokiri boy to cheer or some such and stare at her green, tattered clothes sticking to her body. However, when her feet slammed against the ground, her confidence soared, and her eyes snapped open.

She made another running start. It was shorter than the last because the island didn't provide much room. She hoped she went fast enough and jumped. This time she kept her eyes open.

She watched as she flew above the water towards the ground on the other side, and watched as it grew closer… closer… THUMP! Her feet once again slammed against the ground, and she felt triumphant. No way was that perv getting off on a fellow Kokiri soaking wet! Though… she looked down at her chest. It was flat as a board.

She scowled as she huffed and said something under her breath about becoming mature soon enough.

She stared ahead. Mido was blocking the path again. Lately, if any of the Kokiri wanted to see The Great Deku Tree, she wouldn't let them pass. She wanted something in return for passage, and her mind changed depending on the Kokiri, so it was impossible to predict what she wanted beforehand.

Out of excitement, Link had completely forgotten about Mido's recent antics.

Mido's temperament wasn't the only issue. Since Sahrda started spending more time with Link, Mido had spent some extra time bullying Link. There was one time, for instance, where Mido had carefully applied tree sap to Link's hairbrush bristles. Link hadn't noticed the difference till after her hair was covered in it. Washing her locks near the waterfall didn't help much, so in the end, she had to cut most of it off. Every Kokiri, except for a chosen few, made fun of her for the longest time by comparing her to a boy.

Link was most certainly _not_ a boy. She was a lady. A wondrous, adventurous lady who would often enter the Lost Woods alone just for the fun of it. She was more brave than all the boys there for no one ventured into the woods for fear of never coming out, and Link had no such fear. She knew the trick of the wood, but she would never share.

Regardless, ever since then, she never used a brush to get the knots out of her hair.

Now, Link could only wonder what Mido would want. Knowing her, she'd probably think of something Link could never get her hands on. Though, if that were the case, Link would decide to force her way past. She didn't just didn't have the confidence to back up that plan. She was one of the scrawniest Kokiri. Mido… not so much.

As Link approached the path to The Great Deku Tree, Mido crossed her arms under her breasts and smirked.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't the Fairyless Kokiri," she said. "I assume you want to see The Great Deku Tree about your… predicament."

Link rolled her eyes and looked to Nati. Even though the light coming from him prevented her from seeing details, she liked to think that he was just as unimpressed as she was. (Truth be told, he didn't particularly care that he wasn't noticed. He preferred it that way considering it was mildly entertaining.)

Mido followed Link's gaze and saw the blue orb floating beside her. She scowled. "Oh. So you _do _have one now."

"Yes, I do," Link confirmed, but her tone made it sound like a challenge.

Mido smirked in response. "A sudden appearance of a fairy doesn't give you any free passes. You still have to find me an item that will grant you access."

Link was prepared for this, or as prepared as she was ever going to be. "What item do you want?" she asked.

Mido held up two fingers. "I want two items: a sword and a shield."

Link stared, dumbfounded. A sword and a shield? Where was she going to get something like that?! There was no need for either of those things in the forest since nothing dangerous lingered here!

"Are you kidding me?!" Link shouted, exasperated. She was tired of all of Mido's tricks and bullying, sure, but this? This was going too far!

Mido looked pleased. "Nope, I'm not kidding. Find me a sword and a shield, and you can pass."

Link glared at Mido.

Mido smugly stared back.

Link stepped forward, preparing to launch herself at the other girl, but Nati darted in front of her. Startled, she stepped back.

"Nati, what are you doing?" she asked.

He stayed silent.

"I need to get passed her, and if she won't let me through-"

"Fighting isn't the answer," he interrupted.

"What?"

"There is another way," he repeated.

"You mean…?"

_There's actually a sword and shield somewhere in the forest?_

Nati didn't answer.

Link looked from Nati to Mido, and then to Nati again. If there really was a sword and shield somewhere, then she could rub both items in Mido's face after she found them, and be able to pass. The thought made her smile.

"Alright," she said as she stared Mido straight in the eyes. "I'll find them."

Mido laughed and waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"I don't need your luck," she replied as she turned towards the river and made another running start.


	3. Poetry

Link circled back to her tree house after the encounter with Mido and sat in front of the ladder, her back resting against it. Nati hadn't really said much as to the location of the sword and shield, and his hints weren't easy to figure out.

"_The sword and shield for which you seek_

_are easy to find, but out of sight._

_The sword is in the forest deep_

_where tumbling rock touch flowers and sunlight._

_In a chest somewhere secluded._

_Strap it to you, an item obtained._

_The shield is the final piece of the prelude._

_When shown, Mido will look on with disdain._

_Go to the door that seals your fate,_

_and give up 40 rupees for your future penance._

_Heroine of Time, go to the gate._

_A prince will await you at the window's entrance."_

It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. First of all, that was the most Nati had ever said. Second, there weren't any tumbling rocks in the forest, as far as she knew. Third, what was with the whole "door of fate" thing? Hell, even the last two verses were questionable! "Heroine of Time"? A prince?

_Wait…prince?_

An image of a young, royal boy galloping upon a white horse with his servant flashed through her mind. He had looked back at her, the details of his face blurred.

"My nightmare…" Link mumbled to herself. "Does that last part connect to that?"

Link stood abruptly and stared at Nati as she prepared to say something, and he stared back with curiosity, but before she spoke, she stopped. It occurred to her that even though Nati knew more than what he was letting on, even if she asked what that mystery knowledge was, he wouldn't say. He was talkative only when he felt it necessary, Link discovered. She closed her mouth, made a face out of frustration, and switched her gaze to her feet.

The grass around her boots was lush and healthy. The dew from this morning had evaporated. She briefly remembered lying on the grass at the entrance of the Lost Woods. It was soft on her skin as the wind encouraged the vegetation to caress her cheek. A smile formed on Link's face.

It didn't matter that Nati wouldn't explain. She knew the sword and shield that she needed were in the forest, she knew she'd need at least 40 rupees, and she suspected that she might meet the prince from her nightmares (though she wasn't certain if that was a good thing or not). That was all she needed to keep her going, for now.

Sensing that Link had found her resolve, and that her short anger spell had ceased, Nati began flying up the small hill and turned left.

Link looked up and noticed Nati was no longer there.

"Nati?" she called.

"Here," he said as he poked his head out from the fence on the left hand side.

Link turned her head, looking up, spotting him. "What are you doing way over there?"

"Come," he replied, avoiding her question.

Link stared. Normally, she wouldn't have followed. She always had questions. She always needed a reason to do something, no matter how small. It was a defense mechanism in a way. Asking questions and being stubborn kept her safe. However, Nati was her fairy, and she knew that the fairies bestowed upon the Kokiri were meant to look after them, so she followed.

Link went up the small hill, and turned towards the Forest Training Center, passing a male Kokiri standing around. Then she went up the hill leading to the tree hut, but turned left towards the fence. Nati waited there patiently.

"So…" Link said awkwardly. "Now what?"

She had practically blurted it out. After so many years of asking questions to keep herself somewhat safe, she couldn't help but let one slip. One minor question compared to the one she was prepared to ask earlier… She hoped Nati wouldn't mind. She had already asked many questions today as it was.

He didn't answer. He merely turned towards the Kokiri girl that stood on the other side of a sign. She was practicing back flips and side jumps. Link remembered her. She didn't talk much, but she was always doing something dangerous. Dangerous more as in getting herself hurt rather than looking for trouble, hence the fence built by the sharp cliff that was near Link's home. The Kokiri girl had done a back flip off the cliff, aiming for Link's balcony, but missed and had a terrible fall. The next day, the Kokiri boys had the fence built in hopes that she wouldn't climb over it and try another wild jump. She didn't, thankfully. Actually, she had toned down her foolery since then.

Regardless, Link knew there had to be a reason behind Navi hinting towards that direction, so she approached the girl.

"Hello," Link greeted.

The girl stopped and looked toward Link, surprised.

"You have a fairy," she said, a genuine smile beginning to form on her face. "You're officially one of us now."

The comment stung.

"Uh, yes," Link replied as she looked away, but when she did, she noticed a small hole in the sharp incline beside them.

_"The sword is in the forest deep,"_ she recalled.

"Care to join me?"

Link turned her attention back to the Kokiri girl. "Sorry?"

"Care to join me?" she repeated in a friendly fashion. "I'm practicing how to quickly evade attacks."

Link raised an eyebrow. There was no reason to learn, let alone practice, evasive maneuvers. There was nothing perilous in the Kokiri Forest, and there was no reason to leave. Actually, she had heard that if any of them did leave, they'd die immediately after stepping outside.

"No, thank you," she answered.

She bent down to examine the hole. She was small enough to fit through, but the bigger question was, "where did it go"?

"Do you know where this hole leads?" Link asked the girl.

She had resumed her practicing after Link had turned down her offer, but she stopped again to stare at what Link was asking about.

"No," she answered. "I'm not small enough to fit through there. None of us are, I think."

She went back to practice.

Link stared down the hole until she shrugged and thought, _"Well, why not?"_ before going onto her stomach and crawling her way through.

She went slowly. She didn't want to risk accidentally getting stuck, but when she reached the halfway point, it occurred to her that she honestly _did_ have enough space to squeeze through. She even had some wiggle room. Granted, it wasn't much, but there was still some there, so even if she did manage to get stuck somehow, she could probably get herself unstuck. She moved faster.

When she reached the exit, she crawled out of the hole and stood up, brushing herself off, and looked around. Her first thought was that she was in a maze. There were two options of directions she could go in, and there were walls all around her.

A large rock rumbled by.

_"The sword is in the forest deep_

_ where tumbling rock touch flowers and sunlight."_

"This must be the place," she concluded.

If Link could see past the blue hue of Nati's light, she might have noticed him rolling his eyes. She might have even caught him mumbling under his breath about how this couldn't _not_ be the place. He specifically led her there since his simple riddle was apparently too complicated for the simple-minded girl.

"This is why I wanted a Kokiri with the aspiration of poetry in mind…" he muttered just loud enough for Link to hear.

"Excuse me?" she said, sounding surprised, confused, and annoyed all at once.

"Nevermind," he replied dismissively as he flew left.

Link wasn't sure what to think. She didn't have the context she needed in order to understand, so instead she followed Nati and hoped he wasn't leading her astray.


End file.
